Krueger and Kruger Up Front: The Budget Hearings Begin

ALBANY—Today was the first of many legislative budget hearings to come, and the first day in a new rule for the Krueger-Kruger era of the Senate Finance Committee

That's State Senator Liz Krueger, vice chair, and State Senator Carl Kruger, chair, sitting next to Assemblyman Herman "Denny" Farrell, the longtime chair of the Assembly Ways & Means Committee.

Senate Democrats insist they are ready to hit the ground running on budget issues, even though the committee currently has no secretary.

Krueger told me yesterday that it's been particularly hectic running from meeting to meeting, getting ready to deal with the coming budget with less than a week's notice.

Today's hearing focuses on environmental conservation, with Department Commissioner Alexander "Pete" Grannis first on the docket.